Right in the...
[OVERVIEW]
Prankster is one of the best abilities in the game, and Liepard can capitalize on it by using support moves such as Encore, Thunder Wave, and Rain Dance or Sunny Day to help its teammates. The threat of Encore alone can prevent the opponent's sweepers from setting up early in the match, while Thunder Wave provides a good catch-all response to sweepers that have already set up or faster threats like Sceptile in general. Meanwhile, this same ability also makes Liepard the face of many weather teams in NU, guaranteeing that at least one sweeper on their team will get a chance to shine regardless of the circumstances. STAB Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit are also powerful tools that Liepard can use to cripple the opponent's Pokemon and inflict good damage. Liepard can even become a decent late-game sweeper itself with Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse, and Copycat, bypassing other priority attackers such as Shiftry and Samurott to become a unique threat. However, Liepard is extremely frail and shouldn't switch into anything other than obvious Psychic-type attacks; even then, Liepard risks being OHKOed by a stray Signal Beam from many Psychic-type Pokemon. It also lacks the raw power to break past bulky foes, limiting its effectiveness as an all-out attacker, and it struggles to fit all of the tools it wants on the same moveset. These factors make Liepard highly reliant both on good prediction when dealing with most foes to avoid being KOed and make the most of its opportunities to support its teammates and on good teambuilding to compensate for the moves it chooses not to run.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunder Wave / Sucker Punch
move 4: U-turn / Pursuit
item: Black Glasses
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off is one of the best moves in the tier and serves as a powerful STAB attack that Liepard can use to either revenge kill weakened threats or cripple bulkier responses by removing their items. Encore has fantastic synergy with Prankster, allowing Liepard to lock stat-boosting sweepers into moves such as Quiver Dance and Shift Gear so that it can attack them repeatedly, paralyze them, or switch to a teammate. It can also be used to punish Defog, Stealth Rock, Substitute, and many other non-attacking moves and to lock Psychic-types into their STAB attack if they want to try to KO Liepard with Signal Beam, making them easy to Pursuit trap if it's desired. Thunder Wave is a good option on bulky offense teams, paralyzing faster threats such as Tauros and Sceptile so that they can be finished off later on by slower teammates. It can also be used as an emergency response to sweepers such as Vivillon and Lilligant, as well as to weather sweepers if they manage to set up and use an attacking move before Liepard can disrupt them with Encore. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority attack and is superior to Thunder Wave on offense teams, which would rather have Liepard attempt to KO these threats directly or at least weaken them enough to be KOed by a faster teammate. U-turn also synergizes well with Encore and Thunder Wave, allowing Liepard to pivot out the turn after locking down the opponent's Pokemon. It capitalizes on the many switches Liepard forces and allows a teammate to come in for free if the foe stays in for some reason. Pursuit can be used alongside Sucker Punch and Encore, letting Liepard be a good trapper for offensive teams that struggle with Psychic-type Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Rotom and Haunter.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature ensure that Liepard can use Encore before any other Pokemon can act, even other Prankster users, and ensures that Liepard can outrun Mismagius and Kadabra and revenge kill them. An Adamant nature can be used to power up Pursuit and other STAB attacks while still letting Liepard outspeed Timid Rotom. Maximum Attack investment ensures that Knock Off is able to reliably revenge kill weakened targets and inflict good chip damage during the early-game while also making U-turn able to do good damage to Malamar. Black Glasses boosts all of Liepard's STAB moves and is generally superior to Life Orb due to the lack of recoil. However, a Life Orb can be used if a more powerful U-turn is desired.
Usage Tips
========
Liepard's main aim is to support its teammates and give them good opportunities to either set up and sweep or break through the opponent's team. Liepard should not try to switch into foes unless it is very likely they will be using a non-attacking move, as it will be OHKOed by practically any neutral STAB attack. If they are very likely to use a non-attacking move, however, such as Lilligant using Quiver Dance after putting one of your Pokemon to sleep with Sleep Powder, Liepard should switch in, as the threat of Encore will either force them to switch out or lock them into their boosting move to be taken down by Knock Off and Pursuit. Sacrificing Liepard to land Thunder Wave on a foe is sometimes necessary to ensure a teammate can sweep in the late-game. Do not use Thunder Wave against bulky Pokemon, as they will likely just take the opportunity to wallop Liepard for no real penalty. Sucker Punch should only be used against faster Pokemon, and only if it is likely that they will try to attack Liepard. Otherwise, Liepard should use Encore to lock them into moves such as Roost and Substitute or use U-turn to pivot out. Knock Off can be spammed in the early-game at little cost and be used to cripple certain bulky foes by removing their item, such as Gurdurr's Eviolite, making them easier for teammates to deal with. Pursuit should be used when a foe is locked into an unfavorable move, such as Psychic or Stealth Rock after being Encore locked, and is likely to switch. It can also be used if a foe is likely to switch out to avoid being revenge killed by Knock Off, such as a weakened Magmortar. However, Psychic- and Ghost-types commonly run Colbur Berry to make them less vulnerable to Dark-type attacks, so try to trigger the Berry before Pursuit trapping them, and avoid using the move in risky situations, particularly where Liepard risks being burned by Will-O-Wisp if it stays in.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers highly appreciate Liepard's ability to lock down foes with Encore and U-turn and provide them with switch in and setup opportunities. Speed-boosting sweepers such as Vivillon, Ludicolo, and Barbaracle are especially deadly with the free turn that Liepard can provide them with. Fast offensive Pokemon such as Archeops and Sceptile similarly like Liepard's ability to shut down opposing setup sweepers that could threaten them later in the match. Fighting-type Pokemon synergize well with Liepard, as it can effectively trap and remove problematic foes to these Pokemon, such as Musharna, Rotom, and Mesprit, with Encore and Pursuit. Gurdurr in particular can use the opportunities provided by Liepard to set up with Bulk Up, while Choice Band Sawk can just spam Close Combat more easily. Poison-type Pokemon can switch into the Fairy- and Fighting-types that like to switch into Liepard, such as Mega Audino and Hariyama. Garbodor is an especially good teammate, as it can provide Spikes support to help Liepard whittle down foes throughout the match, while Liepard can trap Xatu with Pursuit and prevent it from interfering with Garbodor's entry hazards. Tanks and wallbreakers such as Hariyama and Magmortar appreciate Liepard paralyzing or using Sucker Punch on faster offensive Pokemon such as Archeops that could otherwise revenge kill them, as well as using Knock Off to weaken defensive targets that require items for recovery, such as Weezing.
[SET]
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rain Dance and Sunny Day can be used alongside Prankster to set up weather for eight turns in almost any situation, even against priority attackers such as Aqua Jet Samurott, making Liepard the most reliable one-off weather setter in the tier. Encore provides Liepard with opportunities to force switches and lock down foes, allowing it to set up weather against passive Pokemon reliably and disrupt certain offensive Pokemon such as Fake Out Kangaskhan to provide more setup opportunities. Knock Off is a reliable STAB attack that can be used to revenge kill certain Pokemon or weaken defensive Pokemon for weather-abusing teammates to break through later. U-turn allows Liepard to scout the opponent's decisions and send in an appropriate threat immediately after setting weather, conserving momentum and making the most out of the weather turns. Thunder Wave is a possibility to provide further support to teammates, but most weather sweepers outspeed the unboosted metagame when weather is up anyway, so it's not optimal to spend turns paralyzing Pokemon in this context.
Set Details
========
Damp Rock and Heat Rock provide an extra three turns of weather for the team when Rain Dance or Sunny Day is used, which is useful given how Liepard is almost certain to pull off the respective weather moves due to Prankster. Maximum Speed and Attack investment is used to give Liepard as much offensive presence as possible, helping it weaken defensive threats for teammates more effectively. An Adamant nature can be used to power up Knock Off, but outspeeding Jynx and Mismagius is generally more useful. A set with 136 HP / 60 Def / 60 SpD / 252 Spe EVs can be used to give Liepard more bulk, allowing it to survive certain hits such as bulky Swords Dance Scyther's and Mesprit's U-turns and set up weather more often in a match if required. Alternatively, Liepard's defensive IVs can be reduced to 0 to make it easier to KO, making it more efficient at sacrificing itself and giving teammates more weather turns if necessary.
Usage Tips
========
Liepard should usually enter battle when weather is about to run out or a teammate is KOed outside of weather so it can guarantee more weather turns with Prankster. It shouldn't generally be used as a lead, as other weather leads have access to entry hazards, and these should be set up before any weather sweeps should be attempted under most circumstances. Liepard also shouldn't switch into foes directly due to its lack of bulk, and bringing it in during weather turns should be avoided unless a setup sweeper desperately needs to be stopped with Encore. Once the appropriate weather has been set, Liepard should exit battle quickly to ensure that its teammates can take advantage of the weather for as long as possible. Liepard should be preserved for later if weather-setting foes like Abomasnow and Aurorus are present, as it can achieve little while they are free to switch in, and it risks either being KOed or letting a teammate take heavy damage as it switches out. In the late-game, Liepard can also be sacrificed to set up weather for one final sweep, with its low bulk making it very easy to KO, allowing an abuser to come in for free after it is defeated.
Team Options
========
Weather sweepers are mandatory partners to capitalize on Liepard's support. Swift Swim users such as Kabutops and Ludicolo are the main threats to take advantage of Rain Dance with, while Chlorophyll users such as Victreebel and Exeggutor are the best options to use if Sunny Day is run. Additionally, wallbreakers and generally fast offensive Pokemon such as Samurott, Magmortar, and Pyroar can make good use of the boosts to their STAB attacks in their respective weather conditions. A bulky weather setter should be used alongside Liepard so that weather can be established in a wider range of situations and with less risk against powerful offensive Pokemon. Mesprit can make good use of Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and Stealth Rock to support its team and can use a slow U-turn to get weather sweepers into battle safely and efficiently. Checks to Snow Warning Pokemon, namely Abomasnow and Aurorus, are also important, as they automatically remove Liepard's weather by switching in and must be dealt with before a sweep can be completed. Assault Vest Magmortar can switch into Ice-type moves reliably but must be wary of coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Encore / Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot allows Liepard to increase its Special Attack and pose a threat to unprepared teams, letting it OHKO many of the offensive Pokemon it outspeeds after a boost. Dark Pulse is a powerful STAB attack that often makes the target flinch, which is useful given Liepard's speed and frailty and lets it occasionally break through bulky Pokemon that could KO it if they got a chance to hit back. Copycat can be used immediately after Dark Pulse KOes a foe to become Dark Pulse, gaining priority due to Prankster and allowing Liepard to bypass slower priority attackers and faster threats once its sweep has begun. It can also be used to copy utility moves such as Spikes and Will-O-Wisp to make Liepard a more unpredictable support threat or to copy coverage moves to revenge kill foes, such as Shadow Ball against Colbur Berry Rotom and Hidden Power Ice against Sceptile. Encore provides Liepard with lots of setup opportunities, both from the switches it forces and from its ability to lock down foes. Setting up on other setup sweepers is Liepard's speciality. Substitute gives Liepard more insurance against attacks, letting it 2HKO bulkier targets such as Assault Vest Magmortar if required. Liepard can still bluff Encore effectively if required, but the opponent can punish it if they manage to figure out that it lacks the move. Liepard's lack of U-turn, Thunder Wave, or Knock Off is usually enough to tip the opponent off if it stays in for more than a few turns.
Set Details
========
While Liepard has priority once it starts to use Copycat Dark Pulse, maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is still preferred, as it lets Liepard reliably KO threats such as Mismagius with Dark Pulse without any additional setup and gives it more opportunities to use Copycat on its own attack against offense teams in general. It also ensures that Liepard outspeeds all other priority attackers, preventing them from revenge killing it or intercepting Copycat. However, a Modest nature can be used instead for more power if the loss of Speed is unimportant to your team. Leftovers allows Liepard to stay healthy throughout a sweep and ensures that it can use Substitute without much risk. This allows Liepard to attempt sweeps at multiple points in the match more effectively and mitigates residual damage from entry hazards. It also allows Liepard to set up on Will-O-Wisp users that might otherwise try to burn Liepard, assuming a physical set, and mitigates Toxic damage. This is generally more useful than the slight power boost of Black Glasses.
Usage Tips
========
Nasty Plot Liepard should be saved for the late-game if possible, as it is easily walled by Pokemon that resist Dark and once the opponent knows it is a Nasty Plot sweeper, they do not have to worry about other utility options Liepard could bluff, such as Thunder Wave and Pursuit. Liepard's teammates should be used to wear these foes down if they lack recovery, such as Assault Vest Hariyama, until Liepard is able to break through them, or KO them outright if this is not an option, such as against Mega Audino. Once these threats have been removed, Liepard should switch in on an opportunity to Encore, such as a foe setting up, using Defog, or using a Psychic-type attack, and either lock the foe into one of these moves or use Nasty Plot if it is likely to switch out. If Substitute is being used instead of Encore, it can be used before Nasty Plot so that Liepard can more effectively scout the opponent's responses. However, it shouldn't be used if the opponent has means to bypass the Substitute, such as Swellow's Boomburst or Pyroar's Hyper Voice.
Team Options
========
Teammates to remove bulky Fighting- and Fairy-type Pokemon are mandatory for this set to not be dead weight. Calm Mind Psychic-types such as Mesprit and Musharna have a good matchup against most Fighting-types and can beat Mega Audino one-on-one with Psyshock. Similarly, teammates that can remove other Dark-type Pokemon, such as Sawk and Scyther, are also appreciated to help propagate Liepard's sweep. Wallbreakers and stallbreakers that can wear down teams in general, such as Magmortar and Mismagius, are also highly useful for making Liepard's sweep easier to accomplish. Entry hazard support is also highly recommended to make up for Liepard's lack of raw power. Mesprit can use Stealth Rock consistently while dealing with Fighting-types and being able to give Liepard a second chance at sweeping with Healing Wish if necessary. Garbodor can switch into both Fighting- and Fairy-type Pokemon and threaten most of them with a STAB Gunk Shot. It can also provide Spikes support to help Liepard secure KOs more easily. Shiftry can lure in defensive responses such as Assault Vest Hariyama and cripple or remove them with Explosion or Extrasensory.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An all-out attacker set can be used to lure and eliminate certain threats, running Play Rough to hit Fighting- and Dark-type Pokemon, Gunk Shot to hit Mega Audino, and Seed Bomb or Grass Knot to hit Quagsire and Rhydon. While this can be effective in the early-game, once the set is revealed, Liepard becomes much less dangerous and cannot fall back on its usual support utility. A sweeping set with Hone Claws and Gunk Shot is particularly effective at letting Liepard lure and KO Mega Audino, but such a set has much less value than the standard set in most situations due to its lack of support moves and its lack of power and priority compared to the Nasty Plot set. Trick lets Liepard swap a Choice Band or Choice Scarf onto a wall and could be used well on all-out attacking sets, but Encore is just as good at disrupting opponents on non-Choice sets and can be used more than once in a match, boasting greater reliability. Taunt is an alternative to Encore that can be used to stop non-attacking moves altogether. Aside from stopping entry hazards, however, Liepard can generally get more utility out of Encore, as a foe locked into one specific move is much easier to exploit than an opponent locked into attacking moves in general. Yawn can also be used to force foes to switch or put them to sleep, providing setup opportunities for teammates, and doesn't depend on the opponent using non-attacking moves, but again, Encore is generally more consistent. Finally, if no non-attacking moves are used, Limber gives Liepard a handy immunity to Thunder Wave and other paralysis moves, while Unburden gives Liepard a hefty-if-unnecessary speed boost if it can survive a Knock Off.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Liepard can't hit Fighting-types for decent damage without niche options such as Play Rough, and they can wallop it back with their STAB moves, with even non-STAB Knock Offs doing decent damage. Gurdurr also gets a boost if Liepard tries to hit it with Thunder Wave, although Sawk, Combusken, and Primeape in particular hate being paralyzed.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Mega Audino takes pitiful damage from anything other than Life Orb-boosted Gunk Shot, and even then the physically defensive sets can avoid the 2HKO. Meanwhile, Dazzling Gleam does heavy damage, although Mega Audino often won't set up due to the threat of Encore. Clefairy can similarly strike back with Moonblast but doesn't particularly like losing its Eviolite to Knock Off.
**Bulky Attackers**: Liepard struggles to inflict much damage to bulky Pokemon such as Vileplume, Steelix, and defensive Garbodor, especially after their items have been removed by Knock Off. Meanwhile, they can all inflict significant damage to Liepard, which can't really do much in response other than U-turn or switch out.
**Weather Setters**: Abomasnow, Aurorus, and Hippopotas can automatically remove any weather conditions Liepard tries to set with their abilities, disrupting its team's strategy entirely. Furthermore, the former two can launch strong attacks to either KO Liepard or heavily damage one of its teammates, while Hippopotas can easily set up Stealth Rock.
[OVERVIEW]
Prankster is one of the best abilities in the game, and Liepard can capitalize on it by using support moves such as Encore, Thunder Wave, and Rain Dance or Sunny Day to help its teammates. The threat of Encore alone can prevent the opponent's sweepers from setting up early in the match, while Thunder Wave provides a good catch-all response to sweepers that have already set up or faster threats like Sceptile in general. Meanwhile, this same ability also makes Liepard the face of many weather teams in NU, guaranteeing that at least one sweeper on their team will get a chance to shine regardless of the circumstances. STAB Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit are also powerful tools that Liepard can use to cripple the opponent's Pokemon and inflict good damage. Liepard can even become a decent late-game sweeper itself with Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse, and Copycat, bypassing other priority attackers such as Shiftry and Samurott to become a unique threat. However, Liepard is extremely frail and shouldn't switch into anything other than obvious Psychic-type attacks; even then, Liepard risks being OHKOed by a stray Signal Beam from many Psychic-type Pokemon. It also lacks the raw power to break past bulky foes, limiting its effectiveness as an all-out attacker, and it struggles to fit all of the tools it wants on the same moveset. These factors make Liepard highly reliant both on good prediction when dealing with most foes to avoid being KOed and make the most of its opportunities to support its teammates and on good teambuilding to compensate for the moves it chooses not to run.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Encore
move 3: Thunder Wave / Sucker Punch
move 4: U-turn / Pursuit
item: Black Glasses
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off is one of the best moves in the tier and serves as a powerful STAB attack that Liepard can use to either revenge kill weakened threats or cripple bulkier responses by removing their items. Encore has fantastic synergy with Prankster, allowing Liepard to lock stat-boosting sweepers into moves such as Quiver Dance and Shift Gear so that it can attack them repeatedly, paralyze them, or switch to a teammate. It can also be used to punish Defog, Stealth Rock, Substitute, and many other non-attacking moves and to lock Psychic-types into their STAB attack if they want to try to KO Liepard with Signal Beam, making them easy to Pursuit trap if it's desired. Thunder Wave is a good option on bulky offense teams, paralyzing faster threats such as Tauros and Sceptile so that they can be finished off later on by slower teammates. It can also be used as an emergency response to sweepers such as Vivillon and Lilligant, as well as to weather sweepers if they manage to set up and use an attacking move before Liepard can disrupt them with Encore. Sucker Punch is a powerful priority attack and is superior to Thunder Wave on offense teams, which would rather have Liepard attempt to KO these threats directly or at least weaken them enough to be KOed by a faster teammate. U-turn also synergizes well with Encore and Thunder Wave, allowing Liepard to pivot out the turn after locking down the opponent's Pokemon. It capitalizes on the many switches Liepard forces and allows a teammate to come in for free if the foe stays in for some reason. Pursuit can be used alongside Sucker Punch and Encore, letting Liepard be a good trapper for offensive teams that struggle with Psychic-type Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Rotom and Haunter.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature ensure that Liepard can use Encore before any other Pokemon can act, even other Prankster users, and ensures that Liepard can outrun Mismagius and Kadabra and revenge kill them. An Adamant nature can be used to power up Pursuit and other STAB attacks while still letting Liepard outspeed Timid Rotom. Maximum Attack investment ensures that Knock Off is able to reliably revenge kill weakened targets and inflict good chip damage during the early-game while also making U-turn able to do good damage to Malamar. Black Glasses boosts all of Liepard's STAB moves and is generally superior to Life Orb due to the lack of recoil. However, a Life Orb can be used if a more powerful U-turn is desired.
Usage Tips
========
Liepard's main aim is to support its teammates and give them good opportunities to either set up and sweep or break through the opponent's team. Liepard should not try to switch into foes unless it is very likely they will be using a non-attacking move, as it will be OHKOed by practically any neutral STAB attack. If they are very likely to use a non-attacking move, however, such as Lilligant using Quiver Dance after putting one of your Pokemon to sleep with Sleep Powder, Liepard should switch in, as the threat of Encore will either force them to switch out or lock them into their boosting move to be taken down by Knock Off and Pursuit. Sacrificing Liepard to land Thunder Wave on a foe is sometimes necessary to ensure a teammate can sweep in the late-game. Do not use Thunder Wave against bulky Pokemon, as they will likely just take the opportunity to wallop Liepard for no real penalty. Sucker Punch should only be used against faster Pokemon, and only if it is likely that they will try to attack Liepard. Otherwise, Liepard should use Encore to lock them into moves such as Roost and Substitute or use U-turn to pivot out. Knock Off can be spammed in the early-game at little cost and be used to cripple certain bulky foes by removing their item, such as Gurdurr's Eviolite, making them easier for teammates to deal with. Pursuit should be used when a foe is locked into an unfavorable move, such as Psychic or Stealth Rock after being Encore locked, and is likely to switch. It can also be used if a foe is likely to switch out to avoid being revenge killed by Knock Off, such as a weakened Magmortar. However, Psychic- and Ghost-types commonly run Colbur Berry to make them less vulnerable to Dark-type attacks, so try to trigger the Berry before Pursuit trapping them, and avoid using the move in risky situations, particularly where Liepard risks being burned by Will-O-Wisp if it stays in.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers highly appreciate Liepard's ability to lock down foes with Encore and U-turn and provide them with switch in and setup opportunities. Speed-boosting sweepers such as Vivillon, Ludicolo, and Barbaracle are especially deadly with the free turn that Liepard can provide them with. Fast offensive Pokemon such as Archeops and Sceptile similarly like Liepard's ability to shut down opposing setup sweepers that could threaten them later in the match. Fighting-type Pokemon synergize well with Liepard, as it can effectively trap and remove problematic foes to these Pokemon, such as Musharna, Rotom, and Mesprit, with Encore and Pursuit. Gurdurr in particular can use the opportunities provided by Liepard to set up with Bulk Up, while Choice Band Sawk can just spam Close Combat more easily. Poison-type Pokemon can switch into the Fairy- and Fighting-types that like to switch into Liepard, such as Mega Audino and Hariyama. Garbodor is an especially good teammate, as it can provide Spikes support to help Liepard whittle down foes throughout the match, while Liepard can trap Xatu with Pursuit and prevent it from interfering with Garbodor's entry hazards. Tanks and wallbreakers such as Hariyama and Magmortar appreciate Liepard paralyzing or using Sucker Punch on faster offensive Pokemon such as Archeops that could otherwise revenge kill them, as well as using Knock Off to weaken defensive targets that require items for recovery, such as Weezing.
[SET]
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rain Dance and Sunny Day can be used alongside Prankster to set up weather for eight turns in almost any situation, even against priority attackers such as Aqua Jet Samurott, making Liepard the most reliable one-off weather setter in the tier. Encore provides Liepard with opportunities to force switches and lock down foes, allowing it to set up weather against passive Pokemon reliably and disrupt certain offensive Pokemon such as Fake Out Kangaskhan to provide more setup opportunities. Knock Off is a reliable STAB attack that can be used to revenge kill certain Pokemon or weaken defensive Pokemon for weather-abusing teammates to break through later. U-turn allows Liepard to scout the opponent's decisions and send in an appropriate threat immediately after setting weather, conserving momentum and making the most out of the weather turns. Thunder Wave is a possibility to provide further support to teammates, but most weather sweepers outspeed the unboosted metagame when weather is up anyway, so it's not optimal to spend turns paralyzing Pokemon in this context.
Set Details
========
Damp Rock and Heat Rock provide an extra three turns of weather for the team when Rain Dance or Sunny Day is used, which is useful given how Liepard is almost certain to pull off the respective weather moves due to Prankster. Maximum Speed and Attack investment is used to give Liepard as much offensive presence as possible, helping it weaken defensive threats for teammates more effectively. An Adamant nature can be used to power up Knock Off, but outspeeding Jynx and Mismagius is generally more useful. A set with 136 HP / 60 Def / 60 SpD / 252 Spe EVs can be used to give Liepard more bulk, allowing it to survive certain hits such as bulky Swords Dance Scyther's and Mesprit's U-turns and set up weather more often in a match if required. Alternatively, Liepard's defensive IVs can be reduced to 0 to make it easier to KO, making it more efficient at sacrificing itself and giving teammates more weather turns if necessary.
Usage Tips
========
Liepard should usually enter battle when weather is about to run out or a teammate is KOed outside of weather so it can guarantee more weather turns with Prankster. It shouldn't generally be used as a lead, as other weather leads have access to entry hazards, and these should be set up before any weather sweeps should be attempted under most circumstances. Liepard also shouldn't switch into foes directly due to its lack of bulk, and bringing it in during weather turns should be avoided unless a setup sweeper desperately needs to be stopped with Encore. Once the appropriate weather has been set, Liepard should exit battle quickly to ensure that its teammates can take advantage of the weather for as long as possible. Liepard should be preserved for later if weather-setting foes like Abomasnow and Aurorus are present, as it can achieve little while they are free to switch in, and it risks either being KOed or letting a teammate take heavy damage as it switches out. In the late-game, Liepard can also be sacrificed to set up weather for one final sweep, with its low bulk making it very easy to KO, allowing an abuser to come in for free after it is defeated.
Team Options
========
Weather sweepers are mandatory partners to capitalize on Liepard's support. Swift Swim users such as Kabutops and Ludicolo are the main threats to take advantage of Rain Dance with, while Chlorophyll users such as Victreebel and Exeggutor are the best options to use if Sunny Day is run. Additionally, wallbreakers and generally fast offensive Pokemon such as Samurott, Magmortar, and Pyroar can make good use of the boosts to their STAB attacks in their respective weather conditions. A bulky weather setter should be used alongside Liepard so that weather can be established in a wider range of situations and with less risk against powerful offensive Pokemon. Mesprit can make good use of Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and Stealth Rock to support its team and can use a slow U-turn to get weather sweepers into battle safely and efficiently. Checks to Snow Warning Pokemon, namely Abomasnow and Aurorus, are also important, as they automatically remove Liepard's weather by switching in and must be dealt with before a sweep can be completed. Assault Vest Magmortar can switch into Ice-type moves reliably but must be wary of coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Encore / Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot allows Liepard to increase its Special Attack and pose a threat to unprepared teams, letting it OHKO many of the offensive Pokemon it outspeeds after a boost. Dark Pulse is a powerful STAB attack that often makes the target flinch, which is useful given Liepard's speed and frailty and lets it occasionally break through bulky Pokemon that could KO it if they got a chance to hit back. Copycat can be used immediately after Dark Pulse KOes a foe to become Dark Pulse, gaining priority due to Prankster and allowing Liepard to bypass slower priority attackers and faster threats once its sweep has begun. It can also be used to copy utility moves such as Spikes and Will-O-Wisp to make Liepard a more unpredictable support threat or to copy coverage moves to revenge kill foes, such as Shadow Ball against Colbur Berry Rotom and Hidden Power Ice against Sceptile. Encore provides Liepard with lots of setup opportunities, both from the switches it forces and from its ability to lock down foes. Setting up on other setup sweepers is Liepard's speciality. Substitute gives Liepard more insurance against attacks, letting it 2HKO bulkier targets such as Assault Vest Magmortar if required. Liepard can still bluff Encore effectively if required, but the opponent can punish it if they manage to figure out that it lacks the move. Liepard's lack of U-turn, Thunder Wave, or Knock Off is usually enough to tip the opponent off if it stays in for more than a few turns.
Set Details
========
While Liepard has priority once it starts to use Copycat Dark Pulse, maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is still preferred, as it lets Liepard reliably KO threats such as Mismagius with Dark Pulse without any additional setup and gives it more opportunities to use Copycat on its own attack against offense teams in general. It also ensures that Liepard outspeeds all other priority attackers, preventing them from revenge killing it or intercepting Copycat. However, a Modest nature can be used instead for more power if the loss of Speed is unimportant to your team. Leftovers allows Liepard to stay healthy throughout a sweep and ensures that it can use Substitute without much risk. This allows Liepard to attempt sweeps at multiple points in the match more effectively and mitigates residual damage from entry hazards. It also allows Liepard to set up on Will-O-Wisp users that might otherwise try to burn Liepard, assuming a physical set, and mitigates Toxic damage. This is generally more useful than the slight power boost of Black Glasses.
Usage Tips
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Nasty Plot Liepard should be saved for the late-game if possible, as it is easily walled by Pokemon that resist Dark and once the opponent knows it is a Nasty Plot sweeper, they do not have to worry about other utility options Liepard could bluff, such as Thunder Wave and Pursuit. Liepard's teammates should be used to wear these foes down if they lack recovery, such as Assault Vest Hariyama, until Liepard is able to break through them, or KO them outright if this is not an option, such as against Mega Audino. Once these threats have been removed, Liepard should switch in on an opportunity to Encore, such as a foe setting up, using Defog, or using a Psychic-type attack, and either lock the foe into one of these moves or use Nasty Plot if it is likely to switch out. If Substitute is being used instead of Encore, it can be used before Nasty Plot so that Liepard can more effectively scout the opponent's responses. However, it shouldn't be used if the opponent has means to bypass the Substitute, such as Swellow's Boomburst or Pyroar's Hyper Voice.
Team Options
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Teammates to remove bulky Fighting- and Fairy-type Pokemon are mandatory for this set to not be dead weight. Calm Mind Psychic-types such as Mesprit and Musharna have a good matchup against most Fighting-types and can beat Mega Audino one-on-one with Psyshock. Similarly, teammates that can remove other Dark-type Pokemon, such as Sawk and Scyther, are also appreciated to help propagate Liepard's sweep. Wallbreakers and stallbreakers that can wear down teams in general, such as Magmortar and Mismagius, are also highly useful for making Liepard's sweep easier to accomplish. Entry hazard support is also highly recommended to make up for Liepard's lack of raw power. Mesprit can use Stealth Rock consistently while dealing with Fighting-types and being able to give Liepard a second chance at sweeping with Healing Wish if necessary. Garbodor can switch into both Fighting- and Fairy-type Pokemon and threaten most of them with a STAB Gunk Shot. It can also provide Spikes support to help Liepard secure KOs more easily. Shiftry can lure in defensive responses such as Assault Vest Hariyama and cripple or remove them with Explosion or Extrasensory.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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An all-out attacker set can be used to lure and eliminate certain threats, running Play Rough to hit Fighting- and Dark-type Pokemon, Gunk Shot to hit Mega Audino, and Seed Bomb or Grass Knot to hit Quagsire and Rhydon. While this can be effective in the early-game, once the set is revealed, Liepard becomes much less dangerous and cannot fall back on its usual support utility. A sweeping set with Hone Claws and Gunk Shot is particularly effective at letting Liepard lure and KO Mega Audino, but such a set has much less value than the standard set in most situations due to its lack of support moves and its lack of power and priority compared to the Nasty Plot set. Trick lets Liepard swap a Choice Band or Choice Scarf onto a wall and could be used well on all-out attacking sets, but Encore is just as good at disrupting opponents on non-Choice sets and can be used more than once in a match, boasting greater reliability. Taunt is an alternative to Encore that can be used to stop non-attacking moves altogether. Aside from stopping entry hazards, however, Liepard can generally get more utility out of Encore, as a foe locked into one specific move is much easier to exploit than an opponent locked into attacking moves in general. Yawn can also be used to force foes to switch or put them to sleep, providing setup opportunities for teammates, and doesn't depend on the opponent using non-attacking moves, but again, Encore is generally more consistent. Finally, if no non-attacking moves are used, Limber gives Liepard a handy immunity to Thunder Wave and other paralysis moves, while Unburden gives Liepard a hefty-if-unnecessary speed boost if it can survive a Knock Off.
Checks and Counters
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**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Liepard can't hit Fighting-types for decent damage without niche options such as Play Rough, and they can wallop it back with their STAB moves, with even non-STAB Knock Offs doing decent damage. Gurdurr also gets a boost if Liepard tries to hit it with Thunder Wave, although Sawk, Combusken, and Primeape in particular hate being paralyzed.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Mega Audino takes pitiful damage from anything other than Life Orb-boosted Gunk Shot, and even then the physically defensive sets can avoid the 2HKO. Meanwhile, Dazzling Gleam does heavy damage, although Mega Audino often won't set up due to the threat of Encore. Clefairy can similarly strike back with Moonblast but doesn't particularly like losing its Eviolite to Knock Off.
**Bulky Attackers**: Liepard struggles to inflict much damage to bulky Pokemon such as Vileplume, Steelix, and defensive Garbodor, especially after their items have been removed by Knock Off. Meanwhile, they can all inflict significant damage to Liepard, which can't really do much in response other than U-turn or switch out.
**Weather Setters**: Abomasnow, Aurorus, and Hippopotas can automatically remove any weather conditions Liepard tries to set with their abilities, disrupting its team's strategy entirely. Furthermore, the former two can launch strong attacks to either KO Liepard or heavily damage one of its teammates, while Hippopotas can easily set up Stealth Rock.
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